Monday, January 3, 2011

Best Films of 2010

1. True Grit- probably the best Western ever made, although it does not have a whole lot of action and has one of the worst endings I've ever seen, it is still a must see movie no matter who you are, and one of those few movies both genders will like. Standouts include Jeff Bridges playing the best role of his career as a fat drunk cowboy who kicks ass and Hailee Stenfield (her first time acting), playing as the 2nd baddest girl this year and both of them deserve Oscars at the very least. Matt Damon plays as a hilarious Texas Ranger (also a career best). Basically put, for every actor in this film, it is their best role. 10 out of 10.

2. Kick-Ass- Though it has no flaws, and is one of the greatest super hero films ever made, parents are not going to like this, because it involves a young girl brutally murdering several mobsters in the best scene of the whole movie. But for all people who have a life, this movie is awesome. Like True Grit, all of the actors are awesome and only Christopher Mintz-Plasse does not have a career defining role (that would be as McLovin in Superbad; he's just as awesome here). The best one by far is Chloe Moretz, who is the bad-ass superhero Hit-Girl; like Hailee Stenfield, she also deserves an Oscar. Nicolas Cage is her dad, a Batman-esque superhero called Big Daddy, and Aaron Johnson (though you probably won't know him) plays the title role of the first real-life superhero.

3. Inception- Just because the guy who made the Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan) directed this, it's on the list. Thankfully, it's almost as good, with a great concept and probably the best digital effects of the year. Some of the actors aren't so good (like Marion Cotillard, who plays as a ghost of Leo DiCaprio's wife and is apparently an Oscar winner), but other than that, top rate movie. Critics don't like this film because they don't like Nolan, but ignore them and watch it.

4. The Social Network- I haven't seen this film yet, but it looks awesome, and everyone seems to like it. It's about the creation of Facebook, and I'm putting it this high in the list because in almost every other Best Of like it appeared at number one.

5. Toy Story 3- not often that a Disney movie would make any list at all except Worst Of lists, but Toy Story did somehow. Being one of two good franchises at Disney (the other being Pirates of the Caribbean) helps a little. One flaw it has is that most of the characters are extremely stupid (especially all the human characters), but the ones that are good are incredible. Obviously Woody and Buzz are on that list, so is that piggy bank, but the best two are Ken (the movie's riff on an interrogation scene with him is hysterical), and Lots-O-Huggin-Bear. That a teddy bear could be one of the best villains of the year is shocking, sure, but he also wins the Best Disney Villain award too. The plot is also top notch, playing like a kiddie version of a prison escape. Some parts don't do well: the beginning and end scenes especially, the first one being a made up fight between Woody and the piggy bank, calling himself Doctor Porkchop, and the last scene being their original owner giving them away to a little girl. When this movie is bad, it is BAD, but the good far outweighs that.

6. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World- definitely the weirdest film on the list, and the biggest so-bad-it-is-good film here, but that's what makes this film good. Although the plot isn't so great (it comes from an indie comic book and involves Scott Pilgrim having to fight the League of Evil Ex-Boyfriends, no joke), it's an example of taking something horrible and turning it into something awesome. The fight scenes are the best of the year, each one ending in a really weird way (a Bollywood guy gets hit in the face with a trash can after concluding a dance number a la Slumdog Millionaire, a vegan with superpowers is tricked into drinking milk, etc.). The characters are also so weird you can't help but like them, also. It's hard to explain this one, but watch it and you'll see.

7. The Other Guys- I expected almost nothing watching this one, but i ended up laughing my head off at this one. It has Will Ferrell doing his thing, Mark Wahlberg doing ballet, Eva Mendes roleplaying as an old lady, and Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson as two supercops. The one bad moment of the film is also the most confusing, as the Jackson and the Johnson commit suicide after their perp escapes a crime scene. Thankfully, it makes up for it by Will Ferrell and another cop literally getting into a silent fight at their funeral. Also, it has Eva Mendes, who is so unaware that she's hot in this movie that she gets confused when Wahlberg begins unconsciously kissing her neck. It also has the best sex scene of the year (don't worry parents, no actually sex or nudity is shown), because she roleplays as an old lady and Will Ferrell tells her: "I'm gonna break your hip." One of the funniest movies of the year, so watch it.

Other notable entries include Red, The A-Team (including the best tattoo of 2010), etc.